Transsexual novel censored in Turkey
Transsexual novel censored in Turkey
Urgent Petition: Save Roodabeh and Ali, Iranian Homosexual Refugees
Roodabeh is a 30-year-old lesbian woman who left Iran in February 2008 to flee from the persecution that the regime of President Ahmadinejad reserves for homosexuals; persecution that foresees in many cases – according to a ruthless interpretation of Islamic law – prison sentences, torture and even death. Ali is a 29-year-old gay. He too was forced to leave Iran to escape the repression in January 2008. Once in Turkey, Roodabeh and Ali applied for asylum to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Ankara section) on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
EveryOne Group, Human Rights international organization, would point out that the right of asylum, as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 14) and finalized by the Geneva Convention, is one of the fundamental rights of human beings, and is recognised by civil countries to those fleeing from violence and persecution. Turkey signed the Geneva Convention and has saved many human lives by acknowledging their status as refugees and offering them humanitarian protection. However, Turkey’s present policies where the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are concerned, have recently become more restrictive. So much so that Amnesty International has recently brought to international attention the repeated violations of the Geneva Convention in the Republic of Turkey, as well as the episodes of abuse carried out by the police against refugees. Roodabeh and Ali live in fear of being repatriated as the Iranian authorities are aware of their flight and the reason they were forced to seek asylum. If they were to be deported, they would have little chance of being spared this persecution.
They live in a state of anguish (as well as discrimination, seeing they are both foreigners and homosexuals) knowing their lives are in danger. They survive only thanks to the commitment of individuals and human rights organizations, but their condition will deteriorate rapidly if their right to international protection is not urgently recognised.
This is why EveryOne Group, working alongside Iranian Queer Railroad (IRQR) and a network of human rights organizations, is promoting a campaign and appealing to the UN High Commission for Refugees to recognise their legitimate right to international protection and asylum.
EveryOne Group activists must point out that Roodabeh and Ali have been awaiting the decision of the High Commission for many months, without financial support, social assistance or programmes of insertion into the work force.
A petition has been submitted to ask international and Turkish authorities and institutions to grant immediate asylum status to the two Iranian homosexuals. You can sign it at http://www.gopetition.com/online/28514/sign.html
For further information:
EveryOne Group
http://www.everyonegroup.com :: info [at] everyonegroup.com
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
 |
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/urgent-petiti…
Homosexual Football Referee’s Rights Restored, But…
Football referee Halil İbrahim Dinçdağ had declared his homosexuality in order to be exempt from military service.However, according to Article 25 of Turkey’s Football Federation’s Central Referees’ Board regulations, someone who is exempt from military service for health reasons cannot become a referee.Dinçdağ explained his situation to the board, but he was not given a post.The case was leaked to the media, and although his name was not used, the details given were enough to identify him.He then decided to speak about his experiences on Habertürk’s “Tele Gol” programme, hosted by Ahmet Çakar. His face was blurred and his initials were used.During the live programme, the referee asked for the blurring to be removed and for his full name to be given.In the programme he appealed to other referees to protest against injustices.Güner: He will still face discriminationSee Homosexual Football Referee’s Rights Restored, But…Bianet
gay opinion gay men lesbian opinion
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/homosexual-fo…
Gay soccer referee forced to quit in Turkey, vows to keep fighting
It would appear that being gay excludes you from having any chance of being a soccer referee in Turkey.
Halil İbrahim Dinçdağ, who was forced to quit his job as a ref due to his sexual orientation, appeared on Turkish television Saturday night to say he would continue his legal fight.
Dinçdağ was forced to leave his job because he had been excused from his compulsory military service on account of his homosexuality, which was documented in a medical report. According to the sport’s regulations, anyone who fails to complete his military service for health reasons is unfit to perform as a referee.
Apparently, in Turkey homosexuality is seen as a medical condition that would preclude military service. Dinçdağ appealed to others who have been discriminated against and urged them to keep fighting as well.
“P See Gay soccer referee forced to quit in Turkey, vows to keep fighting Chicago Sun-Times * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/gay-soccer-re…
Muslim gay filmmaker’s work to be shown at the arts school
UT at the Movies/Winston-Salem presents the documentary, A Jihad for Love, 7 p.m. Saturday at the ACE Theatre Complex on the UNC School of the Arts campus.
Muslim gay filmmaker, Parvez Sharma, brings to light the hidden lives of gay and lesbian Muslims from such countries as Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, France, India and South Africa.
Admission is $5, and all proceeds will benefit the Adam Foundation and UNCSA’s School of Filmmaking.
For more information, call 336-918-0902, or e-mail OUTattheMovies@triad.rr.com.
See Muslim gay filmmaker’s work to be shown at the arts school
Winston-Salem Journal, NC
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/muslim-gay-fi…
Activist’s ‘railroad’ helps gay Iranians
Not quite three years ago, Arsham Parsi was an Iranian refugee in Turkey. Today, he is executive director of the Iranian Queer Railroad, trying to help 200 people down the same road he took to Toronto.
“Every day, people escape, people come here,” he said yesterday in his downtown apartment. “It’s constant, like a railroad, always moving.”
On a recent trip to Turkey, he secured refugee status from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for 45 Iranian gays, but they are awaiting interviews at the Canadian and U.S. embassies. Parsi, 28, is lobbying on to get them out of Turkey where temporary residents must pay a $200 fee every six months.
“People in Turkey say they’re not homophobic and I say, `You’ve living in Istanbul. When you leave Istanbul, it’s different.’ Gays have been beaten on the streets in Turkey and the police do nothing.”
Canada, the U.S. and Australia are the likely destinations for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people on his “railroad,” because those countries recognize the kind of persecution they face in Iran, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said there are no gays.
Iran is one of 86 countries around the world that still declare homosexuality a crime and punish it with prison or death.
Parsi was still in Iran when he became an activist in 2001, first starting a clandestine online chat group for fellow gays, then an organization. He left when he heard government officials were hunting him.
Since arriving in Toronto in 2006, Parsi has been a guest speaker at the UN Human Rights Council and his activism earned him awards last year from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Pride Toronto.
See Activist’s ‘railroad’ helps gay Iranians
Toronto Star, Canada
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/activists-rai…
Transsexual acquitted of criticizing military in Turkey
(Ankara) A transsexual singer has been acquitted of charges of criticizing mandatory military service in Turkey.
The law firm of Muhittin Yuzuak says Friday that their client, singer Bulent Ersoy, was acquitted during a hearing Thursday on grounds of freedom of speech. Ersoy is one of Turkey’s best-loved singers.
Ersoy has acknowledged …
Transsexual acquitted of criticizing military in Turkey
(Ankara) A transsexual singer has been acquitted of charges of criticizing mandatory military service in Turkey.
The law firm of Muhittin Yuzuak says Friday that their client, singer Bulent Ersoy, was acquitted during a hearing Thursday on grounds of freedom of speech. Ersoy is one of Turkey’s best-loved singers.
Ersoy has acknowledged …
